Ch. 311                                    LAWS OF MARYLAND

[11-803.] 2-503.

The purposes of the Program are to:

(1) Increase the supply of decent, safe, and sanitary
rental housing for occupancy by families of lower income;

(2) Provide financial assistance for the costs of
acquiring, constructing, or rehabilitating rental housing so that
it is affordable by families of lower income; and

(3) Stimulate the participation of political
subdivisions in providing assistance for the production of
affordable rental housing for families of lower income.

[11-804.] 2-504.

(a) The Department shall:

(1)  Manage, supervise, and administer the Program;

(2)  Adopt policies to ensure that rental housing is
made available to families of lower income with the assistance of
political subdivisions;

(3)  Attach such specific terms to any purchase, sale,
or lease of a project or land therefor as may be necessary to
carry out the purposes of the Program;

(4)  Establish guidelines for occupancy of the rental
units produced under the Program by families of lower income to
ensure that the rental units receiving financial assistance, under
the Program are occupied by families of lower income;

(5)  Comply with the requirements of local laws,
ordinances, codes, charters, or regulations applicable to any
particular project; and

(6)  Adopt rules and regulations to carry out the
Program in conformance with statutory requirements.

(b) Notwithstanding any provision of this subtitle or any
other law or regulation, the Department may:

(1) Make and participate in making loans to sponsors
for any rental housing production project including loans for
development costs related to the construction or rehabilitation
of a project and loans for the acquisition of completed projects;

        (2) Own or lease a rental housing production project
or the land therefor during the construction or rehabilitation of
a project and sell, assign, or transfer the project, without
public bidding or public sale to a sponsor upon its completion

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